M4A3E8 Sherman (KTO) ~ "Bad Ass"

errains

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Apr 10, 2011
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Part 1-Inspirational Material

WHAT!!! Another one!!! :eek: ....That would be a "yes sir it surely is" ;D

This project has it origins all the way back to 2007 during my last deployment just before I retired. I had packed a couple of Concord books on the Sherman and printed off a bunch of pictures that I downloaded off the internet to take along. During the my down time I would pull these out and go over them, kind of building them in my head as a diversion from the daily grind of be so far away from home. One of the photos that I often returned to was a well-known picture of an M4A3E8 firing form a fixed position in the Korean highlands. I soon started working out how I would build up my version of this photo.

BA-1a.jpg

Once I returned home I started to conduct my research and gathering reference photos. During the time I came across as web site that that had about 16 pictures of E8s in Korea that I had never seen before. What really struck me about these was how they were configured with additional stowage items and the 3-tone camouflage. In one of these shots was an E8 named “BAD ASS”. After seeing that I knew then I would combine these photos to build up my version of the camouflage M4A3E8 “BAD ASS” in the Korean Theater of Operation.

BA-1b.jpg

Below are some interesting points from photos that will be included on the build.

BA-1c.jpg
BA-1d.jpg

Back 2007 the only real option was to use one of the Dragon E8 kits. But as luck would have it TASCA released one of their most excellent Sherman kits as a Korean E8, saving me the time of doing the conversion.

BA-1e.jpg

So I kicked off this project and built up the basic lower hull and mounted it. I used a pair of right angle clamps just to make sure the sides where attached correctly. It all went together pretty easily.

BA-1f.jpg
BA-1g.jpg
BA-1h.jpg

While Tasca’s tracks are nice I’m opting to use the AFV Club T80’s as I’m planning to actuate the suspension, hoping that they will be a bit easier to deal with. Removing the tracks from the sprue was a bit of a problem as I had the tendency to snap them in half. Using an old hobby knife that was heated over a candle fixed that problem. Now on to the cleaning all the links….oh the joy!

BA-1i.jpg
 
Another one but I ain't complaining lookin forward to seein this come along

Geegad
 
Forgot to add this what's with the candle???

Oh sorry to keep banging on about this but I was watching the film
Underworld and because panavise is fresh in my mind what's that I see sitting on one of the desks it's on a panavise


Keep it coming
John
 
he used teh candle to heat the knife to cut the track links because they kept snaping off.

very fancy jig there for the right angles errains, looking forward to more
 
Cool looking project ! ...and a lot of tracks ;D

Chris.
 
Eric:
I've been thinking about my friend, Lol you're sick :eek: :) ;D, excellent project, you have a neat one.
Be attentive, seeing this wonder of armed.

Cheers

Richard
 
Eric,

the items in the photo labeled 'track tools' look a lot like grousers to me.


chenilleShermangrouser.jpg
 
I would like to say to say thanks to everyone for their comments…so THANKS Guys! ;D and to address two items.

I picked up the right-angle clamps a couples of years ago when I was plan and project that never got started. You can find them from MicroMark. They offer two types now, the Orginal Clamp and Long Clamp . While a bit pricey I have used them with great success and would recommend them to anyone doing big conversions and/or scratch building, and of course as scrathmod mentioned they are a big help with the new trend of separate hull parts.


Next is Ken’s suggestion that the item I marked as “track tools” (TT) could possibly be grousers. Fist let me make it clear that I NOT a Sherman expert (there are plenty of self-confessed “experts out there). So Ken could be totally correct. However I think they are TTs. I don’t ever recall seeing grousers for any of the HVSS (23in wide) tracks, but I’m sure someone can supply a picture of some; I just have never seen them.

Below are two of the pictures I used to determine that the items shown are TTs. While not great I think they show that they most likely are not grousers.

X011.jpg


Next while conducting some online research on HVSS suspension and tracks I came across this LONE SENTRY BLOG with the following photo

X021.jpg

Once I had a working name as to what that item might be I continued additional research and located the following two pictures.

X031.jpg
X041.jpg

While not 100% conclusive, I feel pretty confident that the Items are TTs. But if anyone has additional information regarding what these items might be please share.
 
Sorry, I posted the wrong photo. :p

I meant these grousers:

19Armd-1.jpg
MWOG1-W24Fig1.jpg
MWOG1-W24Fig2.jpg



But, you may certainly be correct, I can definitely see the shape in those blown up versions. I'm just thinking that it's an awful strange place to store such an important tool and there's something about that shape on the end that makes me think it's a grouser. Plus, that bottom picture you posted shares very little with the technical manual pictures, they don't look like the same thing.

Either way man, it's a model. No worries. ;D
 
@ Ken; No worries bro. And oh yes "them" grousers, I see where your coming from. Actually I quite glade you posted these pictures as there is a Firefly with these bad boys on it that I what to build some day, I'll just add these to my reference file....Thanks Man!

BTW...I reworked that "day-glow" stuff today....much better ;)
 
errains said:
@ Ken; No worries bro. And oh yes "them" grousers, I see where your coming from.

Cool.

...and the more I look at those blown up pictures, the more I see your point. That part at the top does look a lot like the ratcheting device and not a grouser end.

Carry on. 8)
 
Nice pick ! and thanks for sharing those Clamp pictures.... I had no idea those existed.... pretty neat tool !

Looking forward to see your build getting put together.... you sure put a lot of Research in your builds and it is nice to see you duplicate those moments !!! froze in time !


Norm.
 
Keep them pictures coming I love how you look into the build before you go into the build

Geegad
 

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